The Meaning of Exodus 12:13 Explained

Exodus 12:13

KJV: And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

YLT: And the blood hath become a sign for you on the houses where ye are, and I have seen the blood, and have passed over you, and a plague is not on you for destruction in My smiting in the land of Egypt.

Darby: And the blood shall be for you as a sign on the houses in which ye are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be among you for destruction, when I smite the land of Egypt.

ASV: And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and there shall no plague be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the blood  shall be to you for a token  upon the houses  where ye [are]: and when I see  the blood,  I will pass  over you, and the plague  shall not be upon you to destroy  [you], when I smite  the land  of Egypt. 

What does Exodus 12:13 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 12:1-14 - The Passover Lamb And Its Sprinkled Blood
Henceforth, for Israel, there was to be a new beginning of the year. We should date our birthdays not from the cradle, but from the Cross. The Paschal Lamb was an evident foreshadowing of Christ. See 1 Corinthians 5:7.
(1). He was without blemish. Searched by friend and foe, no fault was found in Him.
(2). He was in His prime, when He laid down His life.
(3). Set apart at the opening of His ministry, it took three years to consummate His purpose.
(4). His blood-that phrase being equivalent to His sacrificial death-speaks of the satisfaction of the just claims of inviolable law, where His flesh is "meat indeed."
(5). Roasting with fire, unleavened bread and bitter herbs denote the intensity of His sufferings, and the chastened spirit with which we draw nigh.
And does not the pilgrim's attitude bespeak the attitude of the Church, which, at any moment, may be summoned to go forth at the trumpet sounding? 1 Corinthians 15:52. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 12

1  The beginning of the year is changed
3  The Passover is instituted
11  The import of the rite of the Passover
15  Unleavened bread
29  The firstborn are slain
31  The Israelites are driven out of the land
37  They come to Succoth
41  The time of their sojourning
43  The ordinance of the Passover

What do the individual words in Exodus 12:13 mean?

And shall be the blood for you a sign on the houses where you [are] - and when I see - the blood and I will pass over you and not shall be on you the plague to destroy [you] when I strike the land of Egypt
וְהָיָה֩ הַדָּ֨ם לָכֶ֜ם לְאֹ֗ת עַ֤ל הַבָּתִּים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתֶּ֣ם שָׁ֔ם וְרָאִ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־ הַדָּ֔ם וּפָסַחְתִּ֖י עֲלֵכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־ יִֽהְיֶ֨ה בָכֶ֥ם נֶ֙גֶף֙ לְמַשְׁחִ֔ית בְּהַכֹּתִ֖י בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם

וְהָיָה֩  And  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הַדָּ֨ם  the  blood 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
לָכֶ֜ם  for  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
לְאֹ֗ת  a  sign 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common singular
Root: אֹות  
Sense: sign, signal.
הַבָּתִּים֙  the  houses 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  where 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אַתֶּ֣ם  you  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine plural
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
שָׁ֔ם    - 
Parse: Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
וְרָאִ֙יתִי֙  and  when  I  see 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַדָּ֔ם  the  blood 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
וּפָסַחְתִּ֖י  and  I  will  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: פָּסַח 
Sense: to pass over, spring over.
עֲלֵכֶ֑ם  over  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וְלֹֽא־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִֽהְיֶ֨ה  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בָכֶ֥ם  on  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
נֶ֙גֶף֙  the  plague 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֶגֶף  
Sense: blow, striking, plague.
לְמַשְׁחִ֔ית  to  destroy  [you] 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַשְׁחִית  
Sense: ruin, destruction.
בְּהַכֹּתִ֖י  when  I  strike 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, first person common singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
בְּאֶ֥רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרָֽיִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.